Possibilities and Patterns for Port Jeff Art Students

Elementary art teacher Meghan McCarthy is always on the lookout for ways
to keep her students creatively engaged. She recently purchased Perler
beads, which are commonly called melty beads for her fourth-graders to
experiment with while in the art classroom’s makerspace. They’ve created
mandala inspired designs, cars, motorcycles and helicopters. The
make-and-take activity takes the students longer then they anticipate,
which gets the creative juices flowing.

“I've found it encourages them to use their fine motor skills, visual
perceptual skills and social skills when working with a partner,”
McCarthy said. “It's a wonderful focusing activity that they really
enjoy.”